Resistor-supporting means



l' downwardlyl and outwar Patented Nov. 1', 1927.

KARL EHRGOTT, 0F EAST IEIT'ISBURG'H, :PENNSYLVANIA- ASSIGNOR T0 WESTING-HOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING vANlA. I

COMPANY; A. CORPORATION OF.' PENNSYL- nEsIsroa-surronriue MEANS.

Application ined January 2s, 1925.' serial Nb. 4,2112. l

My invention relates to .electric heating devices and particularly toresistor-supporting means therefor.

One lobject of my invention is to provide an electric heating unit thatis simple in construction and easily assembled.

Another object of my invention is to provide a means for supportingresistorsup porting insulators that are interlocked thereto, thesupporting means being 'interlocked with a supporting frame.

A still further object of my invention is to provide aninsulator-supporting means that initially loosely holds an insulatormem-v ber and finally securely interlocks therewith and that may beloosely disposed inv asup-` porltli'ng frame and finally interlockedtherewit In practicing my invention, I provide a frame havin a pluralityof transverse members integra with a pair of members ex tending upwardlytherefrom and laterally thereto. The transverse members are-Substantially of U-shape and have overhanging portions that extendoutwardly therefrom` lbut -that are located sufficiently removed fromadjacent U-shape members to-provide a substantialopening therebetween.Helil p cally wound resistor members are supported in a plurality ofaligned insulators that are loosely mounted in a metallicinsulator-supporting member. VThe insulator-supporting members areperforated to providean extension therethrough of a V longitudinallyextending..portionI of the insulator. The sides of theinsulator-supportin member extend from ,the top' thereof. the lower poions thereof extending inwardly from the upper'portion Vand the lowerend extending outwardly at Lsubstantially right-:mles to ther inwardlextending ort1ons. y crimping the si es of the insu eter-supporting,member inwardly, thev insulator isso shaped :as to be firmly interlockedtherewith.

The insulator-suppe member containingl the insulators is between thetransverse U-shaped. members and is interloeked therewith by forcing itslower p or tions outwardly by means of a wedging member that is.-insertedthrou h conform-l ing rforations in the lateral y mem.extending rs of the frame.

Y- Infihasingi snm-ef'amwing, e 41 is a *Op Planifier.' Partially inY eshoulders section, of an electric heating unit employed in my invention;l'. j i' Fig. 2is afront elevational View' thereof partially in section;.l

Fig 3,is.a fragmentary side elevational -view thereof, and

Fig. 4 is a front elevational view of. an insulator supporting' memberemployed in. my invention.

' An electric cated by the numeral 11 comprises-a pair of laterallyextending members 12 and 13 and' a plurality of members 14 that extendtransversely therebetween and are integral therewith. The transversemembers 14'are` of substantially U-shape having overhanging portions 15and 16 extending towards each other but that are sufficiently removed toprovide a substantial opening therebetween. A plurality of. .insulatormembers 17 =are supported in alined relation by a memberv 18 that islocated in operative position between transverse members 14 'andinterlocked in a manner. hereinafter more fully d'e- 16 thereof.

The insulator-supporting member 1 8 comwhich the sides 19 and21 thereofextend downwardly and outwardly from the top provide for the extensiontherethrough of shoulder portions 24 and 25' of the insulator members17. The lower portions-26 of the insulator-supporting member 18 extendinitially inwardly from the side portions'19 p lura purpose ereinaftermore fullydescribed.

heating unit generally-.nd-- i:

rises substantially a metallic casing of 22 thereof and are perforatedas at 23 t0.,

vand 21`thereof and the, lower extremities 27 l In assemblingthe heatingunit, insulatorv members 17 are loosely inserted in the sides oftheinsulator-supportingmembers 18 with the shoulder portions 2 4 and 25thereof extending slight y therethrough. The sides of theinsulator-s'ipportn'g member arev then` crimpedl inwar y unt theysubstantially conformto the sidesofthe insulator, thereb firmlyinterlocking with. the insulator.A 24 and.. 25A thereof 'extend sidesof. the insulator-support-` through the the wallsof the perforations ingmember,

scribed to the overhanging portions .15 and W" abut the upper and thelower portions 29 and 31 and prevent lateral movement The `assembledinsulator and supporting members are then inserted .at the lowerportions thereof between the overhanging portions 15 and 16 of thetransverse members 14. A wedging u member 32 is inserted through theperforation 28 in the laterally extending memberf12 and vforced betweenthe inwardly extendingblower portions 26 of the insulator-supportingmember Vthereby causing them to-assume a substantially verticalpositionabutting theoverhanging portions 15 and'16 of the transversemembers 14,with ,the rectangularly extending portions 27 thereof abuttingl theunder faces 33 and- 34 ofthe overhanging portions 15 and 16. The wedging"member 32 is so shape-d thata portion 35' thereof abuts .the innersurface of the' lower portions 26 of the insulator-supporting member 18to prevent lateral movement thereof, anda pair of portions 36 and 37extend outwardly beneath the overhanging portions 15 and 16 of theAtransverse members 14 and abut the rectangularly extending portions 27of the insulator-supporting member 18 to prevent downward'movementthereof. 'The insulator-supporting member 18 is-thereby firmlyinterlockeld. with the 'transverse members 14. A -helically woundresistor member 38 may threaded through perforations 39. of theinsulator members 17 and will be substantially supported thereb inoperative position.

- t is obvious t at the structure employed in my invention is easilyassembled with the parts thereof interlocked in such manner. that theyare held firmly in operative position.

Various modifications and changes may be made 44without.,departingv fromthe spirit and 'scope of the invention, and I 'desire therefore now belthat only such limitations shall be placed thereon as are imposed b theprior art or are set forth in the appen ed claims.

I claim as my invention:

-1. In an electric heater, the combination with a supporting frame havina plurality of members of substantially -shape having overhangingportions, and a plurality of insulator-supporting members adapted tocoact with. said overhanging portions, of means for interlocking saidsupporting members with said overhanging portions.

2. In an4 electric heater, the combination with a supporting framehaving a plurality of transverse members, of means disposed betweenadjacent pairs of said members for supporting a-plurality of insulatormembers.

3. In an electric heater, the combination with a supporting frame havinga plurality of transverse members, of means interlocked with anddisposed ,between adjacent pairs of said members for supporting aplurality of insulator members.

4. In an electric heater, the combination with a frame having aplurality of cooperating pairs of transverse members, of a plurality ofinsulator members adapted initially to be located loosely in betweenpairs of said transverse members and linally to be interlocked firmlytherewith.

5. In an electric heater,- the combination with a supporting framehaving a plurality of cooperating pairs of transverse members andaplurality of insulator members, of a plurality of insulator-supportingmembers adapted initially to loosely support said insulator members' andfinally to interloclc firmly therewith and with said respective pairs oftransverse4 members, and means coextensive with said'insulator-supporting members for maintaining them in such interlockedcondition.

. w In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 10thday of January, 90

KARL EHRGOTT.

